1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to fuel supply systems for internal combustion stationary or automotive engines, and more particularly to improved carburetor apparatus by which excess fluid fuel is withdrawn from the fuel stream that is being transmitted to the intake manifold of the engine. The apparatus herein comprises an improved propeller located in the path of the fuel stream, the force of which, impinging upon the propeller blades, causes the passive rotation thereof. The blades of the propeller have trailing edge scoops or flanges which capture or collect liquid components from the fuel stream and centrifugally propel said components into an annular collection chamber or trap. The chamber contains a mass of reticular fibrous, webbed, porous or cellular material such as metal wool, filaments of natural or synthetic fiber, ceramic strands or masses, or combinations thereof which, by capillary action and by gravity and the like, cause the liquid to drain downward into a suitable well for collection or return to the main fuel supply tank.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Previous devices in the prior art have intended to reduce the liquid components in the fuel stream of internal combustion engines and these devices have comprised expansion chambers (U.S. Pat. No. 2,098,391), mixing fans for improving vaporization (U.S. Pat. No. 1,213,621), and a combination of these two concepts (U.S. Patent Reissue 20,885).
Whatever improvement may have been exhibited by the apparatus shown in said patents, it is believed that insufficient elimination of liquid fuel from the gas stream was realized to warrant an adequately viable apparatus to perform the desired end purpose of improving the operation of the engine and saving fuel. The propeller blades of the prior art were ineffective in projecting sufficient liquid fuel into the expansion chamber, and if the latter were empty of packing, the down draft of the fuel stream to the intake manifold would produce a reverse flow of fuel from the chamber back to the stream, thereby defeating the intended purpose of preventing excess liquid fuel from reaching the cylinders of the engine and resulting in efficiency losses and waste of fuel.